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Ann Thorac Surg 1997;63:522-528
© 1997 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Departments of Cardiovascular Surgery, Cardiology, and Clinical Laboratory, Takeda Hospital, and Third Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kyoto University Hospital, Kyoto Japan
Accepted for publication September 27, 1996.
| Abstract |
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Methods. The procedure was performed in 20 patients with a diagnosed aortic aneurysm. The graft is constructed from a Dacron cylinder, and the surface of the graft is supported with multiple rings of extraflexible wire. After the compactly folded graft is delivered through the sheath to the predetermined target point, the graft is deployed and then pressed against the vessel by balloon inflation. Straight graft insertion was attempted in 10 patients, bifurcated graft insertion in 8, and branched graft insertion in 2.
Results. Graft placement was successful in 19 of the patients and unsuccessful in 1. There were no cases of graft migration, aneurysm rupture, or graft destruction during a mean follow-up period of 9 months.
Conclusions. Initial clinical results demonstrated the efficacy and safety of endovascular graft placement using this graft.
| Introduction |
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Patients at high risk for aortic aneurysm rupture have generally been treated surgically. However, in recent years, the feasibility of placing prosthetic grafts transluminally for the treatment of aortic aneurysms has been demonstrated in experimental and clinical studies [110]. In 1989, Inoue began to design and develop a graft that would permit aortic aneurysms to be managed nonsurgically. After long-term, extensive animal studies in which the graft was tested [1, 2], a clinical trial was initiated in which 20 patients with a diagnosed aortic aneurysm received the graft. We describe our initial clinical experience in repairing aortic aneurysms using this device.
| Material and Methods |
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Endovascular Grafting System
The endovascular grafting system comprises a graft, a detachable carrying wire, a detachable traction wire, a balloon catheter, and an introducer sheath (Fig 1
). The graft is constructed from a Dacron cylinder, and the surface of the graft is supported by multiple rings of extraflexible wire. A loosely spun Dacron filament covers the rings so that the graft can be anchored securely to the aortic wall without injurying it. To further facilitate graft fixation, each middle ring is attached with a pair of 3- to 5-mm-long wire barbs, which hook into the aortic wall. That the barbs do not perforate the aorta was confirmed by the previously performed animal experiments [1, 2]. Radiopaque marks, which can be observed fluoroscopically, are attached to the ring at each end of the graft. Bifurcated and branched grafts can also be constructed by simple modifications in this basic design. The diameter and length of each graft are given in Table 2
. Owing to their flexibility, grafts in any configuration can be evenly and compactly folded so that they readily fit into a 16F to 22F sheath.
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Bifurcated and branched grafts were attached to the carrying and traction wires in a similar manner and the traction wires connected to the respective distal limbs. However, two types of traction wires were used for these types of grafts-those made of a hollow stainless steel tube and those made of polyethylene (flexible traction wire). The assembled graft was evenly folded with the aid of a funnel, then it was encased in a cartridge until use. The sheath was 16F to 22F in diameter. A hemostatic valve was attached at the outer end of the sheath.
Transluminal Endovascular Graft Placement Procedure
STRAIGHT GRAFTS.
After the intravenous administration of heparin, the sheath was inserted through the puncture or arteriotomy site in the femoral artery and advanced beyond the target point. The cartridge holding the graft was connected to the sheath, then the graft was introduced into the sheath and advanced to the predetermined target point under fluoroscopic guidance. Once the graft was in the optimal position, only the sheath was withdrawn, while the carrying wire was held in place (Fig 2
, 1), thereby allowing the graft to rapidly expand by its own flexibility (Fig 2
, 2). Once the graft was placed at the optimal point, the balloon catheter was advanced into the graft. The balloon was inflated using an intraortic balloon pumping system, and the graft was pressed back into its original shape (Fig 2
, 3). After the graft placement was completed, the graft was released from the carrying and traction wires by removing both nickel titanium wires in their lumens. Finally, the carrying wire and traction wire were removed (Fig 2
, 4).
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PATIENT FOLLOW-UP.
All patients have been followed up in our department. Spiral computed tomography, color-flow duplex Doppler echocardiography, or transesophageal echocardiography, or a combination of these, was performed within 1 week to evaluate the position of the graft and the patency of the lumen and to look for complications. If it was found necessary, aortography was also performed. These examinations were then repeated at 1, 3, and 6 months after the procedure and after that at 6-month intervals.
| Results |
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| Comment |
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Our endovascular grafting system was easy to use, thanks to its extreme flexibility and low profile. This allowed it to be inserted regardless of whether there was a severe vascular tortuosity or luminal irregularities. An additional important feature of the delivery system was the precision with which the graft could be placed. The graft could be moved easily to an optimal position using the carrying wire or traction wire, even after the graft was released from the confines of the sheath.
Another advantage of our system was our use of an intraaortic balloon pumping system. The balloon was inflated during diastole because a considerable afterload would be exerted on the heart and graft migration might occur if the balloon were inflated during systole. The small grafts such as the sidearm of a branched graft were inflated manually.
Our endovascular grafting system made it possible to place both bifurcated graft and branched grafts. For example, we used it successfully to perform an endovascular repair of a type B aortic dissection with an intimal tear just beyond the left subclavian artery (patient 13). If the long-term results prove to be favorable, this should open the way for use of the procedure in a larger proportion of patients with aortic aneurysms.
Spinal cord injury resulting from obstruction of the internal iliac artery on one side was a rare risk associated with the standard surgical repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm. However, one of our patients suffered paralysis of the right leg resulting from occlusion of the right internal iliac artery; this patient had an infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm. In this patient the left limb of the bifurcated graft was placed into the common iliac artery and the right limb was placed into the external iliac artery because the distal common iliac artery was aneurysmal. It is unclear whether both internal iliac arteries needed to be perfused. However, whenever possible, we try to maintain the patency of both internal iliac arteries.
Perigraft leakage occurred in 7 patients. The main cause of leakage in these patients was an incorrect graft size resulting from the fact that these patients had marked aortic tortousity which made it difficult to obtain the precise measurements necessary for the construction of a customized prosthesis. Figure 6
shows the aortogram obtained in patient 10 who had an abdominal aortic aneurysm, large iliac artery aneurysm, and severe aortic tortuosity. Although the aneurysm was almost completely thrombosed after the procedure, a small proximal communication persisted. To prevent leakage, the entire circumference of the second and third rings as well as of the first one at either end was stitched to the Dacron cylinder in the grafts used in later patients, so that both ends of the graft made tighter contact with the aortic wall. This modification proved to be effective in eliminating the perigraft leakage.
Although it is uncertain whether the trivial leakage may lead to delayed aneurysm rupture, the possibility cannot be excluded. Therefore, we currently consider that a delayed second procedure should be performed to obliterate such persistent leakage.
Our preliminary experience demonstrates the efficacy and the safety of transluminal endovascular graft placement using the graft and delivery system we have developed. We believe that the procedure may become an alternative to the surgical treatment for aortic aneurysms. However, careful long-term evaluation and further improvement in the devices and techniques will be necessary before it can be used extensively in clinical practice.
| Acknowledgments |
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| Footnotes |
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| References |
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